Gear housing for washing machines



Dec. 17, 1929. s. E. scHRoEDl-:R

GEAR HOUSING NoN WASHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 20, 1928 0N. m N @N Y NN N Patented Dec. 17, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIMON E. SCHROEDER, OF NEWTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

AUTOMATIC WASHER COMPANY, INC.,

DELAWARE OF NEWTON, IOWA, A CORPORATION OIE' GEAR HOUSING FOR WASHING MACHINES Application led January 20, 1928. Serial No. 248,052.

the provision of a simple and efficient mechanism for housing and supporting a wormY gear and worm.

Another ob'ect is iii the provision of stamped metal housing which is adapted to house a worm gear, there being provided in connection with the Vstamped metal vhousing a simple and inexpensive manner of supporting the worm.

Still another object lies in the provision of a housing member, including therein a tubular supporting means for a worm, said supporting means being adapted to be readily inserted Within the housing and held therein in an efficient manner at a minimum of expense, without the necessity of costly machining operation A further object lies in the provision of worm supporting mechanism comprising a tubular member carrying the bearing supports for the worm in such manner that the worm may be disposed upon the outer end of a drive shaft, therefore obviating the necessity of expensive machining operations.

Other objects will appear in the following specification, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Fig. l is a plan view, with portions thereof broken away, of my worm supporting device;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the same structure; and,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing more in detail thevmanner of housing the worm and worm gear.

Before referring specifically to the drawings, it is thought best to trace, somewhat generally, the previous development work which has taken place in connection. with the housing and supporting of worms and worm gears.

` The present applicant has, as the art will show, been constantly developing and improving wasliing machines, and especially the power transmission means utilized therein. As a matter of fact, these developments washing machines. Heretofore, worms and worin gear driving mechanism have been used so universallyas to be considered conventional when applied to washing machines.

In other words, the use of a worm gear and worm for driving same is practically standard drive for the rotating or oscillating parts of washing machine structures.

The manner of mounting the worm gear and worm has also been almost standard in that the worm 4was disposed within an oiltight housing, the housing portion providing,

in almost every instance, bearing supports vfor the worm. In other words, the housing was made of cast iron, with openings therein, or at least recesses, at two places, for the reception of bearing members for supporting the worm. The drive shaft projected into the housing in such manner that the end portion thereof was carried in one of the iecesses in the housing, and at a point intermediate its ends it was supported in another recess or opening in the housing. The worm forming part of the drive shaft, was disposed intermediate these bearing portions.

Applicant, as a matter of fact, has utilized a sort of worm and gear drive and supporting mechanism in many of the washing machines which he has developed, the same being undoubtedly efhcient and practical, but requiring a manner of manufacture which will be immediately recognized as more expensive than this type of manufacture wherein the parts are formed by stamping the metal in dies. Applicant desires to use a pressed steel housing for his worm and worm gear driving mechanism, and further, Vof course, to obviate the necessity of expensive machining operations. Y

In carrying out his purpose, applicant was immediately met by the necessityV of supporting his worm within the stamped metal housing, in an eiicient manner, as well as accomf With the before mentioned machining operations. He has accomplished this stamping of the gear housing member and ready assembly and support of the Worm gear Within the housing in the following manner.

It has not been thoughtnecessary to disclose other structural features 'directed to Washing machine mechanism, inasmuch as saine are noW so Well known as to bealmost conventional. A stamped metal gear hous-V ing is shown at 10, formed to receive and maintain a satisfactory amount of lubricant therein for the continuous oiling of the mov` ing portions. Bolted, by a plurality of bolt members 11, to said housing, is a cover porA 'tion 12.

The above mentioned housing portions provide a complete housing for the Worin gear, Wormv and drive shafts connected thereto contained Within the housing. Disposed WithinV the housing there is found a vertically disposed stub shaft 13, which finds its'V lowerA support 14 in an additionalhousing "portion Y15, secured as at 16, tothe first mentioned The only reason for An upper bearing support for the stub shaft 13 is `s hovvn 17 and is supported by the plural portions 18 and 419 securely bolted at 2O to a horizontally disposed metal plate '21, Which is assembled las a unit with the hous- `ing portion and forms, as a matter of fact, a

part of the housing portion.

Fixedly lsecured to the upper end of the ystub staft 13 is "a crank 22 to which may be attachedY the driving Imeans for the `Wateragitating portions ofwa Washing machine or j other mechanism for use desired.l Secured to the stub shaft 13 is a conventional Worm gear 23. l Y

The structure heretofore described is somewhat conventional, except for the fact that the housing 10 is forinedby pressing or stamping, rather than asa cast portion. The stamping operation to form housing `10 leaves an opening, through WhichV the Worin supporting vmember may `have `one of its ends projected. Y V i This Worm` supporting :member or'rnechan nis'm Will'now be described. A `conventional drive shaft is Ashown at 24, having formed 'upon one end thereofthe conventional `Worin 25, which is obviously Iadapted-to imesh"tvijth the before mentioned Worm ge'ar23, and `wvl-hen rotated to ltransmit a similar movement `-to the Worm. gear. The louter end 26 of the drive shaft may be connected in Amanner to lan electricor other power driving'unit.v

A tubular member 27fsurround's 'thediive shaft 24. and has its outer "end tlireadedas at 28 and projecting through fthe bforeinen- Vtioned opening left inthehousing `member as bearing supports for the Worm 25. kIrrespective of the manner of supporting the Worm, it must obviously have t'wo supports,

Whena cast metal housing was used, were formed Within the housing at xtwo spaced points which necessitated careful machining an inner -nut 31 threaded upon the inside fofthe tubular housing and a 'cap portion a2 threaded upon the housing exteriorly thereof. It is obvious that movement of these A'nut portions will securely support the tubular and as previously described, these supports, Y

member Within the housing and prevent movement. A bearing ymei'nber 33 is also found Within the housing, which when held in position by movement 'of the eap'32, against supporting member 34, prevents the eXit of any of the lubricant from kthe housing. Oby viously, any other means for Apreventi'ng the exodus of voil might v'as Well be used.

rIhe mechanism for preventing lateral movement of the tubular `member has 'been described and We now yturn t'o ineans for preventing sidevvard movement of the tubular member, and therefore holding sainesecl'irely Within the housing, and in proper mesh relationship with the Worm gear. This' lincohvanism 'provided' in a yoke 35, -the end portions of which are threaded y'a'sa't 36 and poject through apertures lin lthe housing, the threaded end port-ions being secured by r'nut-s 37, thus holding the yoke, as Well as the vtubular member, in a fixed position, not only sideyvard, Vbut in any direction. 1t might be suggested that when the yoke 35 has `-'been tightened in such manner that the tubular member 27 is iix'e'dly'sec'u'redv vvithi'nthefhousing, there :may still be some requirement for adjustment ofthe Worm vvith respeot v:to the Worm gear.v Althoughv this is not contemplated, neverthelessfit is apparentthat if nec@ .essary, the yoke might beV loosened-and s hi'ms, not shown, disposed betv'veen the tubular member and the inside 'ofthe housinginsu'ch manner as Would absolutely insurethe-prper engagement of the Worm w-ith the Worin 'gear.

which the operator may rinsert withinfthe housing, not only in minimiumftime'but y'arrving at the proper adjustment of sadapon tions very rapidly. Thisisfa distinctadvan'- llO tage in the assembly of Worm and Worm gear drive for Washing machines or other devices, and is thought clearly novel as vrespects the tubular member for supporting t-he Worm entirely upon one side, as Well as its connecting means With the housing, Which permits the before mentioned rapid assembly and accomplishment of same at a minimum of expense.

vWhat I claim is.:

l. In a device of the class described, a stamped metal gear housing, a Worm gear therein, a Worm for driving the Worm gear, a drive shaft for the Worm, mechanism for supporting the Worm Within the housing in a meshed relationship with the Worm gear, including a tubular member having one of its ends projecting through an aperture in the stamped metal housing, bearing supports for the Worm shaft disposed Within the tubular member, means including threaded members disposed upwardly and inwardly of the housing secured to the projecting ends of the tubular member to prevent lateral movement of the tubular member, and a yoke member surrounding the tubular member With the housing member in such manner as toV hold the Worm in meshed relationship With the Worm gear.

2. In a device of the class described, including a stamped metal housing, a Worm gear disposed therein, bearing supports for the Worm gear shaft and mechanism for supporting a Worm in a meshed relationship With the Worm gear Within the housing including a Worm shaft, a Worm formed on one end of said shaft and meshing With the Worm gear, a tubular member disposed Within t-he housing and having an end port-ion thereof projecting through an aperture in the housing, bearing supports for the Worm shaft Within said tubular member, and means for xedly supporting the tubular member Within the housing, including means for ixedly securing the projecting end of the tubular member to the housing in a manner to prevent the exodus of oil, and a yoke member' for holding the Worm in the desired mesh relationship With the Worm gear.

3. In a device of the class described, including a stamped metal housing having an opening therein, a Worm gear disposed Within said housing, a Worm adapted to mesh With said Worm gear and mechanism for supporting a Worm Within the housing, including a Worm shaft, the Worm being formed upon one end of said shaft, supporting means for the Worm shaft including a tubular member,

bearing supports for the Worm shaft Within said tubular member and mechanism fory fixedly supporting the tubular member Within the housing in such manner that the Worm maintains an eiiicient meshed relationship with the Worm gear.

4. In a device of the class described including a housing, a Worm gear disposed therein, a Worm, supporting means for holding the Worm in a meshed relationship with the Worm gear, including a Worm shaft on one end of Which the Worm is mounted, supporting means for the Worm shaft including a tubular member and roller bearings disposed Within the tubular member and supporting the Worm shaft, and means for holding the tubular member securely Within the housing but permitting suiiicient adjustment to insure proper meshing of the Worm with the Worm gear.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

SIMON E. SCHROEDER. 

